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Craig

Return Pump question.... gph

Rating: 4 votes, 5.00 average.
6 Comments
by
Craig
, 03-02-2011 at 11:36 AM (3279 Views)
Good Morning Reef Addicts,

I'm trying to figure out what size return pump is needed for my 120 gallon tank. I have a 5 foot delivery head on a 120 gallon tank with 2 mega overflows (Oceanic Ultimate Series), which are rated at 600gph each. I found a blurb on Marc's site that I should have a return gph pump of 3x to 5x the display tank. The Eheim 1260 has a 635 gph rating but at 5 feet of delivery head it brings it down to about 400gph. This makes it about 3.33x the display tank. But the 1262 has a 900 gph rating and at 5 feet the delivery head it brings it down to about 700gph. This makes it about 5.83x the display tank. I plan on using a couple vortech mp40's on either sides of the tank for circulation. What would you recommend? The return pump flow will be split to two outlets in the display tank. One output for each mega overflow.

Thanks for your time.
Craig

Please see chart from marine depot:


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‎ Questions - Need some input

Comments

  1. Robb in Austin's Avatar
    I'd forget about 3-5X tank stuff and get the pump that will match best with your overflow rating. In that case, the 1262.
  2. Sisterlimonpot's Avatar
    I have a 120g with about the same head pressure, I use a Mag18 but turned way down with ball valves, I estimate about 3-500 GPH turnover, which is right in-line of Marc's suggestion. I personally don't rely too much on the flow through the sump to count for much total GPH for water movement in the tank. I just have a skimmer and a refugium down there so no real reason to push so much water through.

    I would suggest the 1262 (which is a great pump by the way) and have the option to restrict the flow with in-line ball valves then to go with the 1260 and be under what you want.

    I too have 2 MP40's on opposing sides of the tank and they seem to do a very good job keeping the corals happy.
  3. melev's Avatar
    Eheim 1262 sounds right to me as well.
  4. Alaska_Phil's Avatar
    How big is the sump? You don't want white water in blasting through your sump creating micro bubbles, salt spray and noise.
  5. Craig's Avatar
    Thanks everyone for your input. Looks like i'll be going with the Eheim 1262.
    Thanks Again.
  6. Midnight's Avatar
    Just one man's opinion, but you should never match the return flow to your overflow rate. those flow rates are the max they can handle, if you pump water at the same rate and one gets clogged from a snail or anything else, then you have water on the floor. also the bigger the overflows are, the quieter and you won't need durso's for quieting.